Child-resistant lighter

ABSTRACT

A child-resistant lighter includes a main body, a wheel racket, a file wheel, a metal cap, and a lever is disclosed. The lever having an upward slant angle of α is within the range 10°≦α≦20° further includes a pressing part, a base, and a slipping hole. Both sides of the base furnish a salient part for acting as the pivot point of the lever, and the salient part is fitted into a securing hole provided at the bottom portion of the file wheel. The securing holes are used as the pivotal bearing seat for bearing the salient part. The pressing part having a slant surface forms an angle θ with respect to the lever and has a horizontal downward slant angle(θ-α). When it comes to use, the user exerts a force P by pressing on the slant surface of the pressing part and the file wheel with his/her thumb making the lighter generate flames. The effective force acting on the lever is P cos θ where the effective range of θ is 27°≦θ≦60°, thereby the range of the effective force is 0.5P≦P cos θ≦0.9P. Therefore, the child-resistant lighter of the invention is capable of preventing the children from carelessness or accidental igniting, thereby improving the safety efficacy of the child-resistant lighter. As a result, the lighter of the invention is capable of protecting the children from causing fire accident to achieve the efficacy of safety usage of the lighter. In this way, the lighter of the invention is capable of improving the efficacy of safety usage. Nevertheless, the exerting force P is still within the range of an adult user.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The invention relates to a children-resistant lighter, and more particularly, to a children-resistant lighter that makes use of the exerting force on the slant pressing part at an end of the lever of the lighter to make the effective force exerting on the lever diminish for protecting the children from easily playing around the lighter to cause fire accident for achieving the efficacy of safety usage.

2. Description of the Prior Art

The simple-type lighter provides consumers with conveniency and low cost, and claims to be a great breakthrough in the contemporary era ever since the first use of fire in material civilization of human history. However, the lighter brings forth concerns on safety consideration. Particularly, the child playing with the lighter may result in fire accident. According to an old saying, a tiny spark may spread to become a prairie fire. Therefore, it cannot be too careful to use the lighter.

FIG. 1 is an exploded view of a simple-and-lever-type lighter structure of the prior art and FIG. 1A is a half sectional-view at section A-A of FIG. 1 of the simple- and-lever-type lighter structure of the prior art. The structure of a conventional lighter being a lever-type lighter as shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 1A includes a main body (1), a wheel racket (2), a file wheel (3), a metal cap (4), and a lever (5). Among them, the main body (1) being a hollow body is for filling the liquid-gas for providing fuel to ignite the lighter. A sealing part (11) secured on top of the main body (1) furnishes a nozzle seat (12) having a plurality of row teeth (121) provided at the periphery thereof and a nozzle (14) having a neck part (141). The wheel racket (2) is slipped on the top of the corresponding sealing part (11) of the main body (1). Moreover, the wheel racket (2) having a securing seat (22) provided at the center thereof and having a pair of file-wheel seats (21) provided by extending from both sides and standing upright on opposite sides thereof is capable of containing a spring (34) and a flint (33). A securing hole (211) is provided on each of the file-wheel seats (21) near the top end thereof, and another securing hole (212) is also provided on each of the file-wheel seats (21) near the bottom end thereof. Furthermore, the wheel racket (2) also provides an adjusting ring (24) having a plurality of inner row teeth (241) on the inner surface that are capable of meshing with the outer row teeth (121) on the outer surface of the nozzle seat (12) of the nozzle (14). The adjusting ring (24) is used for adjusting the quantity of liquid-gas output in the main body (1).

As shown in FIG. 1A, the lever (5) includes a pressing part (51), a base (53), and a slipping hole (55) (see also FIG. 1). Each side of the base (53) furnishes a salient part (532) used to be the pivot point C of the lever (5). The salient parts (532) are fitted in the securing holes (212) near the bottom of the file-wheel seats (21), and the securing holes (212) are used as pivot seat for bearing the salient parts (532). The slipping hole (55) being used as the point B of resisting force R (see FIG. 1A) passes through the nozzle (14) and slips on the neck part (141) of the nozzle (14) of the sealing part (11). The pressing part (51) provided at an end of the lever (5) is used to be the “point A” of the exerting force P. Finally, the metal cap (4) is slipped on the top of the lighter to form the simple-type lighter that is popular in the market nowadays.

FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram showing the lever action of a simple-and-lever-type lighter structure of the prior art. As shown in FIG. 5, together with FIG. 1 and FIG. 1A, the range of the slant angle α of the lever (5) is 10°≦α≦20°. When it comes to using the lighter, the user exert an exerting force P at the “point A” of exerting force P by the use of his/her thumb to press the pressing part (51) of the lever (5) making the “point B” of resisting force R generate reaction force Q through the pivot point C and making nozzle (14) pump out the liquid-gas contained in the main body (1). Since the user presses the pressing part (51) and rubs the flint (33) of the file wheel (3) at the same time, the spark generated due to the rubbing friction is capable of igniting the liquid-gas to generate flame.

As the conventional simple-and-lever-type lighter is easy to be ignited, it is also easy to cause fire accident when the children play around the lighter. This is the demerit of the prior art.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In light of the above-mentioned demerits of the prior art, the invention provides a children-resistant lighter that aims to ameliorate at least some of the demerits of the prior art or to provide a useful alternative.

The primary objective of the invention is to provide a children-resistant lighter that makes use of the slant pressing part of the lever making the effective exerting force of his/her thumb of the user acting on the lighter diminish, and in the meantime, preventing the children from causing fire accident when they play around the lighter. However, the exerting force is still within the force capability of an adult and the upward slant angle α of the lever is 10°≦α≦20°. If the upward slant angle of the pressing part is θ, the downward slant angle will be θ-α. The range of θ is 27°≦θ≦60°, thus the effective exerting force P perpendicular to the slant surface is reduced to P cos θ making the range of the effective exerting force be between 0.5P and 0.9P that is capable of protecting the children from causing fire accident to achieve the efficacy of safety usage of the lighter. This will make the user harder to exert force to ignite the lighter but the exerting force required is still within the capability of the user while makes the children harder to cause fire accident.

In the first embodiment of the invention, the cross-section of the pressing part is in rhombus shape.

In the second embodiment of the invention, the cross-section of the pressing part is in rectangular shape with a chamfered vertex angle.

In the third embodiment of the invention, the cross-section of the pressing part is in new-moon shape.

In order to achieve the above-mentioned objectives, the invention provides a child-resistant lighter that includes a main body, a wheel racket, a file wheel, a metal cap, and a lever. The lever having an upward inline angle of α with 10°≦α≦20° further includes a pressing part, a base, and a slipping hole. Both sides of the base furnish a salient part for acting as the pivot point of the lever, and the salient part is fitted into a securing hole provided at the bottom portion of the file wheel. The securing holes are used as the pivotal bearing seat for bearing the salient part. The pressing part having a slant surface forms an angle θ with respect to the lever and has a horizontal downward slant angle(θ-α). When it comes to use, the user exerts a force P by pressing on the slant surface of the pressing part and the file wheel with his/her thumb making the lighter generate flames. The effective force acting on the lever is P cos θ where the effective range of θ is 27°≦θ≦60°, thereby the range of the effective force is 0.5P≦P cos θ≦0.9P. Therefore, the child-resistant lighter of the invention is capable of preventing the children from careless or accidental igniting, thereby improving the safety efficacy of the child-resistant lighter. As a result, the lighter of the invention is capable of protecting the children from causing fire accident to achieve the efficacy of safety usage of the lighter. In this way, the lighter of the invention is capable of improving the efficacy of safety usage. Nevertheless, the exerting force P is still within the range of an adult user.

The accomplishment of this and other objectives of the invention will become apparent from the following description and its accompanying drawings of which:

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an exploded view of a simple-and-lever-type lighter structure of the prior art;

FIG. 1A is a half sectional-view at section A-A of FIG. 1 of the simple-and-lever-type lighter structure of the prior art;

FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the children-resistant lighter of the first embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2A is a half sectional-view at section B-B of FIG. 2 of the children-resistant lighter showing the force-exerting action at the slant pressing part of the first embodiment of the lever of the invention;

FIG. 3 is an exploded view of the children-resistant lighter of the second embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 3A is a half sectional-view at section C-C of FIG. 3 of the children-resistant lighter showing the force-exerting action at the slant pressing part of the second embodiment of the lever of the invention;

FIG. 4 is an exploded view of the children-resistant lighter of the third embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 4A is a half sectional-view at section D-D of FIG. 4 of the children-resistant lighter showing the force-exerting action at the slant pressing part of the third embodiment of the lever of the invention;

FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram showing the lever action of a simple-and-lever-type lighter structure of the prior art;

FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram showing the lever action of the children-resistant lighter of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

FIG. 2, FIG. 3, and FIG. 4 are exploded views of the children-resistant lighter of the first, second, and third embodiments respectively of the invention. As shown in FIG. 2, FIG. 3, and FIG. 4, the children-resistant lighter of the first, second, and third embodiments respectively of the invention includes a main body (1), a wheel racket (2), a file wheel (3), a metal cap (4), and a lever (5). Among them, the main body (1), wheel racket (2), the file wheel (3), and the metal cap (4) are all pretty much similar to those of the simple-and-lever-type lighter structure of the prior art, thereby it is not necessary to repeat here.

FIG. 2A is a half sectional-view at section B-B of FIG. 2 of the children-resistant lighter showing the force-exerting action at the slant pressing part of the first embodiment of the lever of the invention; FIG. 3A is a half sectional-view at section C-C of FIG. 3 of the children-resistant lighter showing the force-exerting action at the slant pressing part of the second embodiment of the lever of the invention; FIG. 4A is a half sectional-view at section D-D of FIG. 4 of the children-resistant lighter showing the force-exerting action at the slant pressing part of the third embodiment of the lever of the invention. As shown in FIG. 2A, FIG. 3A, and FIG. 4A, the lever (5) includes a pressing part (51), a base (53), and a slipping hole (55). A salient part (532) is furnished on both sides of the base (53) to assume as the pivot point C of the lever (5). The salient part (532) is fitted into the securing holes (212) at the lower portion of the file-wheel-seat (21), and the securing holes (212) are used for assuming as pivot bearing seat to bear the salient part (532). Assuming as the point of resistance force B of the lever (5), the slipping hole (55) is passed through the nozzle (14) and slipped on to the neck part (141) of the sealing part (11). What is more, the point A of the exerting force P exerting at the pressing part (51) at an end of the lever (5) is assumed as a “point A” of exerting force P.

As shown FIG. 2A, in the first embodiment of the invention, the cross-section of the pressing part appears a rhombus shape.

As shown FIG. 3A, in the second embodiment of the invention, the cross-section of the pressing part appears a rectangular shape with a chamfered vertex angle.

As shown FIG. 4A, in the third embodiment of the invention, the cross-section of the pressing part appears a new-moon shape.

As shown again in FIG. 2A, FIG. 3A, and FIG. 4A, the angle α being the horizontal upward slant angle is within a range of 10°≦α≦20° and the slant surface of the pressing part makes an angle θ with respect to the lever (5) which makes a downward slant angle θ-α. If the exerting force of the user to exert force on the pressing part by his/her thumb is P, then the effective exerting force acting on the lever is P cos θ where the effective range of the angle θ is 27°≦θ≦60°, namely, the minimum and maximum value of θ are 27° and 60° respectively, thereby the range of effective exerting force is 0.5 P≦P cos θ≦0.9 P. In other words, the exerting force P of the user to press the pressing part and the file wheel by his/her thumb is reduced into 0.9P to 0.5P. As a result, the lighter of the invention is capable of protecting the children from causing fire accident to achieve the efficacy of safety usage of the lighter. In this way, the lighter of the invention is capable of improving the efficacy of safety usage. Nevertheless, the exerting force P is still within the range of the ability of an adult user. This is the advantage of the lighter of the invention.

It will become apparent to those people skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made to the structure of the invention without departing from the scope or spirit of the invention. In view of the foregoing description, it is intended that all the modifications and variation fall within the scope of the following appended claims and their equivalents. 

1. A children-resistant lighter that includes a main body, a wheel racket, a file wheel, a metal cap, and a lever; the lever further includes a pressing part, a base, and a slipping hole, each side of the base furnishes a salient part used to be the pivot point C of the lever, and the salient parts are fitted in the securing holes near the bottom of the file-wheel seats, and the securing holes are used as pivot seat for bearing the salient parts; the lighter is characterized by that: the angle α being the horizontal upward slant angle is within a range of 10°≦α≦20° and the slant surface of the pressing part makes an angle θ with respect to the lever which makes a downward slant angle θ-α. if the exerting force of the user to exert force on the pressing part by his/her thumb is P, then the effective exerting force acting on the lever is P cos θ where the effective range of the angle θ is 27≦θ≦60°, thereby the range of effective exerting force is 0.5 P≦P cos θ≦0.9 P, thereby the lighter of the invention is capable of protecting the children from causing fire accident to achieve the efficacy of safety usage of the lighter, nevertheless, the exerting force P is still within the range of the ability of an adult user.
 2. The children-resistant lighter as claimed in claim 1, wherein the cross-section of the pressing part is in rhombus shape.
 3. The children-resistant lighter as claimed in claim 1, wherein the cross-section of the pressing part is in rectangular shape with a chamfered vertex angle.
 4. The children-resistant lighter as claimed in claim 1, wherein cross-section of the pressing part is in new-moon shape. 